Jo Ledingham Theatre Reviews

Something Rotten

Theatre Under the Stars until August 26, 2022
Imagine trying to break into the biz when Shakespeare’s plays were selling like hotcakes at the Globe Theatre day after day. Attempting to get a play in edgewise was next to impossible – or that’s the idea behind Something Rotten, now playing at the Malkin Bowl. You don’t have to know anything about Shakespeare to enjoy this laugh-out-loud spoof at the expense of the Bard.

Daniel Curalli as Will Shakespeare in Something Rotten. Credit: Emily Cooper

We Will Rock You

Theatre Under the Stars until August 27, 2022
TUTS is a package. Popcorn, hot chocolate or coffee or wine, porta potties, maybe a picnic dinner by the Rose Garden before the show, mosquito repellent, blankets, all that singing, all that dancing and moonlight through Stanley Park’s towering trees. What’s not to love?

Danny Malena as Galileo in We Will Rock You. Credit: Emily Cooper

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Bard on the Beach until September 24, 2022
A Midsummer Night’s Dream shows us the stages of love, from puppy love to mature love; unexamined infatuation to carefully-considered partnering. And this production is so pretty!

Sarah Roa as Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Credit: Emily Cooper

Harlem Duet

Bard on the Beach until July 17, 2022
I loved Harlem Duet. The script is honest and sad, sometimes funny and often poetic. It’s deeply political as well as deeply personal.

Donald Sales as Othello and Marci T. House as Billie in Harlem Duet. Credit: Emily Cooper

Marjorie Prime

At Waterfront Theatre until July 1, 2022
Directed by Shelby Bushell for Ensemble Theatre Company as part of ETC’s two-play festival, strong performances and an interesting idea make Marjorie Prime worth a visit – especially if, like Marjorie, you’re keeping up with and curious about where technology is taking us.

Gai Brown as Marjorie in Marjorie Prime. Credit: Emily Cooper

Vietgone

Jericho Arts Centre until June 26, 2022
Directed by Keltie Forsyth and Louisa Phung for United Players, this is a tight, talented cast, perfectly equipped to handle the rapping and singing, the comedy and the drama. It’s a personal best for Chris Lam, as Quang, in a role in which he can really spread his wings.

Chris Lam as Quang and Alison Chang as Tong in Vietgone. Credit: Nancy Caldwell

The Mountaintop

At Pacific Theatre until June 11, 2022
Terrific theatre, stellar performances, provocative politics. Pacific Theatre at its best.

Kwesi Ameyaw as Dr. Martin Luther King, and Shayna Jones as Camae in The Mountaintop. Credit: Moonrider Productions

Himmat

The Cultch Historic Theatre until May 15, 2022
Himmat, a word that apparently means courageous or brave in Punjabi, is charming, heartwarming and a window into a culture that we don’t hear a lot about.

Munish Sharma as Banth and Gavan Cheema as Ajit in Himmat. Credit: Sarah Race Photography

Cauldron

Jericho Arts Centre until May 14, 2022
If you think all the ways of spinning the Scottish play have been exhausted, you need to check out Vital Spark’s production of Cauldron at the Jericho Arts Centre.

Eiko Masutani as Fleance, Joan Bryans as Morag Macdonald and Allyce Kranabetter as Bessie Macdonald in Cauldron. Credit: Nancy Caldwell

The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare

York Theatre until May 7, 2022
From the rather mysterious opening and closing Romanian folktale – a cautionary tale about being wary when entering dangerous situations, The Invisible is gloriously, unabashedly, unapologetically stylish, polished and theatrical – hallmarks of Edmonton’s Catalyst Theatre.

The Invincible. Clockwise from lower left: Tahirih Vejdani, Kristi Hansen, Amanda Trapp, Justine Westby, Kaylee Harwood and Sarah Nairne. Credit: DB Photographics

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